Vevo updates, relaunches mobile app

Vevo, the music video brand of labels Sony and Universal, has launched a new mobile app as it attempts to offer users a reason to watch its music videos somewhere other than YouTube.

The new mobile app adds several hosts who will curate playlists and create original snippets of video. It also introduces a video player that will play full-screen videos while a phone is upright instead of sideways, and provides a personalised feed of recommended videos that automatically shows moving image previews.

CEO Erik Huggers said the revamp is the “first step on the journey” toward moving audiences from the “one size fits all” YouTube platform to an app dedicated solely to music. He said the refresh paves the way for more originals, an ad-free subscription plan and more ways for fans to express their musical tastes.

Although YouTube remains a key reason for Vevo’s success, moving off the video platform will enable Vevo and its record label owners to keep more revenue from ads.